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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. march — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. season — of the year
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com